Fred Holidays

Fred.\ Holidays was born out of a desire to provide people with the holiday experience - made holidays and short breaks designed to customers’ own individual requirements. Fred.\ Holidays boasts an experienced, friendly and well-travelled team, each with their own fields of expertise. We suggest 2 itineraries as a taster of the shared Royal Heritage – George I died in Hanover and George II was the last monarch to be born outside Great Britain.

Itinerary 1Celle and Hanover

Fly to Frankfurt or Hanover and then take the train to Celle, 2 nights in Celle, rail to Hanover, 3 nights in Hanover, rail back to the airport – prices from £ 579 per person (based on a twin share).

Celle

Celle is known for its collection of more than 450 half-timbered houses which survived the Second World War largely unscathed. The result of this is that the Old Town maintains an old fashioned charm with many fine buildings. The Hoppener Haus looks like something out of a fairy tale book and dates back to 1532. The foundations of Celle Palace date back to the 13th Century but it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1533 and has a preserved eastern façade with octagonal towers at the corners, gables and bay windows. The inside is very Baroque and from 1722 was home to the British-born queen Caroline Mathilde. She was here for three years until her tragic early death. The French Garden in the town is a memorial to her.

Hanover

The near destruction of the Old Town in 1944 has seen many historic monuments restored to their former glory. The Baroque gardens of Herrenhausen were established by the mother of George I and are classed as one of the most beautiful parks in Europe. Peter the Great danced in Herrenhausen and Handel made music here. The Great Garden is the most impressive. It was inspired by a trip to Versailles and its hedge theatre, inspirational fountains and modern Grotto are worth a visit. In summer, plays are performed in the Garden Theatre and further on from this is the Grosse Fontäne, the tallest in Europe.

Other notable places to visit:

Marienburg Castle: A castle 135m above sea level and built as a token of love by King George V of Hanover for his wife Queen Mary. Before the castle was finished George V was in exile. The castle is a testimony to court intrigue and the rise and fall of mighty dynasties.

Bückeburg Castle: The Renaissance castle is set amidst 80 hectares of park. You can find the biggest privately owned monumental burial ground site and the Royal Riding School in these gardens.

Other notable buildings in the region that can be found are Gifthorn Castle, Residenzschloss and Richmond Palace in Braunschweig. The castles of Bevern, Bad Pyrmont and the magnificent Wolfenbüttel Castle with its beautiful Baroque frescoes. Hamelin is also within easy reach of Hanover.

Itinerary 2Coburg – Gotha - Hanover

Fly to Frankfurt or Nuremberg and then car hire and visit Coburg, Gotha and Hanover, 2 nights in Coburg, 1 night in Gotha, 3 nights in Hanover - prices from £ 699 per person (based on a twin share).

Coburg

Coburg and its’ Royal Family through marriage created ties with other European Royal Families during the 19th century. The most famous partnerships included Leopold becoming King of Belgium and Prince Albert marrying Queen Victoria and uniting the two famous Royal Houses. Queen Victoria visited Coburg on a number of occasions. Coburg has four very beautiful castles – it is dominated by the Veste Coburg, one of the largest fortresses in Germany. The medieval complex is one of the largest and best preserved castles in Germany and provided refuge to Martin Luther. Ehrenburg Castle in Coburg's town centre is a fine example of Neo-Gothic style. Callenberg Castle has a fine collection of firearms in the museum. Rosenau Castle was a particular favourite of Queen Victoria and has a beautifully preserved marble hall.

Gotha

The 17th century Friedenstein Palace dominates the city and was the first Baroque building in Thuringia. A guided tour allows views of underground chambers, rifle galleries and the defences of the palace. The court of Gotha has hosted Emperor Napoleon and King Frederick the Great of Prussia. Try the ‘Thüringerwaldbahn’ which is one of the oldest cross-country trams.

If you want to do the itinerary by car – no problem call us for a quote.